Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (03/17/90)
Info-IBMPC Digest Sat, 17 Mar 90 Volume 90 : Issue 48
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>
Today's Topics:
QuickBasic and COM1: ==> Disk FIle
Kermit and Procomm242
Two hard-disk controllers on an AT (cf. Chinni's query)
DOS Interrupt 21h, Subfunction 32h question
Today's Queries:
$2000 386-33Mhz Clone??
CAF Computers ??
Need help choosing 386/486 machine.
Optinet & Programmer's Library (Query)
Problem with MS-Kermit 3.0
ROM upgrade for original PC
Scrolling problem w/Zenith 386SX & 1492 monitor
SCSI drive question
TSR's in 640K
New Upload:
PLOTTER 6.1 - CGA/VGA function plotter
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 90 05:16:24 GMT
From: sobol@udcps3.cps.udayton.edu (Steven Sobol)
Subject: QuickBasic and COM1: ==> Disk FIle
Tim Margush writes:
>I am writing a program in QuickBasic (V3.0) that simply reads data from COM1
>and dumps it to a disk file. The data is coming from a data buffer that
>collects information from another device. The problem that occurs is that
>the first 20 or so characters are lost when the com port is opened and the
>receive loop begins. Everything after that goes fine.
Perhaps printing a control-s to COM1 before opening the com buffer will work.
Then print a control-q to COM1 when you're opened and ready. This assumes
that the remote machine recognizes XON/XOFF handshaking...
Steve Sobol, Founders Hall #318, U. of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469 (513) 229-1913
ARPA/Internet: sobol@udcps2.cps.udayton.edu or Steven.Sobol@afitamy.fidonet.org
UUCP: uunet!dayvb!{udcps3|afitamy}!sobol FAX: (513) 229-4000
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 90 16:14:02 MST
From: Capt William H. Eichenberger <ikewh@usafa.af.mil>
Subject: Kermit and Procomm242
In comp.sys.ibm.pc.digest you write:
>Concerning kermit in Procomm242, since posting the original query I came to
>realize that the problem is limited to the IBM pc-convertible. For some
>reason, using the same actual diskette with the procomm works fine (both up
>and down loading) on all other IBM pc's,at's,xt's, and ps/2's. On the
>convertible, the upload works like a charm; but when I try to download with
>the kermit in procomm, after a few moments of grinding away, I get the
>message "Can't open file", and I am returned to the distant kermit
>(vax/unix). Has anyone else had similar experience? Thanx to all those who
>have tried to help to date! Oscar M.
Did you try the simple solution?
files=40
in the config.sys file on the disk you boot the convertible?
If so, sorry I bothered you.
ike
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 90 10:59:24 EST
From: tt@IM.LCS.MIT.EDU (Tom Toffoli)
Subject: Two hard-disk controllers on an AT (cf. Chinni's query)
I have a Qualogic AT (It's a card that slips into a passive backplane) which
has a resident SCSI hard-disk controller. When I set it up, I have to tell
the SETUP program that there is NO hard disk controller (since SETUP only
knows about the AT-like controllers). I presume that if I put a conventional
controller on the bus and told SETUP it was there, BOTH controllers would
work. I'm sorry I have no time to test this, but it seems to me that I once
asked Qualogic and they confirmed. In principle, I don't see why it SHOULDN'T
work, provided that the SCSI software initializes its drives (drive number,
etc) after SETUP has initialized the drives that it knows about.
------------------------------
Date: 17 Mar 90 11:54 KST
From: David Baldwin <tcbaldd%vccscent.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu>
Subject: DOS Interrupt 21h, Subfunction 32h question
In the Info-IBMPC Digest #36 Bruce Kahn asked about the DOS subfunction 32h.
According to the information given in "The Waite Group's MS-DOS Developer's
Guide":
> Function 32h (50): Locate Disk Block Information for Specified Drive
> Function 32h is the same as function 1fh, except that the pointer to the
>disk block information table for a specified drive may be specified.
>Function 1fh only returns the disk block information for the default drive.
> ENTRY: AH = 32h DL = Number of disk drive (0=default, 1=A, etc.)
> RETURN: AL = 00 if drive exists; ffh for invalid drive. DS:BX contains
>the address of the first entry in the DOS disk block."
This information is listed as being officially "Undocumented."
------------------------------
Subject: Today's Queries:
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 90 09:52:59 +0100
From: Brian Chan (GTE) <bchan@ddn-eur.dca.mil>
Subject: $2000 386-33Mhz Clone??
Anyone has experience with a PC mail order firm - SAI systems (1-800-331-
0488)?
I've been planning to buy a 386 system for some time and I saw their $1995
386-33 ad in the 2/27/90 PC Magazine. The price include:
- 386-33Mhz with AMI BIOS
- 32K 25 nsec Cache
- 32K Cache (vow!) dual FD/HD controller (WD-1006)
- Shadow RAM
- 1 MRAM
- 1.44/1.2 MBFD
- Mono card/monitor.
- 3 years parts and service
- 48 hrs repair/replacement service
They claimed they had "thousands of satisified customers: GE, Motorolla,
Navy, NASA...." I'm a firm believer of "you've got what you paid for" and
somewhat skeptical about their pricing. On the other hand, if their product
is good, it'd be a great bargain.
I also like that SAI would ship APO. (PC Brand, the preferred vendor, refused
to ship anything but UPS <sigh>. One of our guys purchased a 386-33 from PCB
and has been real happy with it.)
Any other recommendation on other low-cost 25||33-386 systems?
Please direct all messages to me and I'll summarize.
Thanks in advance,
Brian
Standard disclaimer applies.
| Internet Address: bchan@ddn-eur.dca.mil <-- preferred.
| bchan@eur.dca.mil
| ETS :430-5364 (W)
| PTT: (49)-0711-680-5364 (W)
| (49)-0711-7125-71213 (H)
| USnail: PO BOX 262, APO NY 09131
------------------------------
Date: Tuesday, 13 Mar 1990 13:38:57 TUR
From: Bulent Dokumcu <OEBL8748%TREARN.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: CAF Computers ??
Hello all...
Sorry for asking such a question, but is there anybody who knows something
about CAF computers?? This info is very vital for me... Thanks in advance...
Bulent Dokumcu
------------------------------
Date: 12 Mar 90 20:36:45 GMT
From: catone@kings.wharton.upenn.edu (Tony Catone)
Subject: Need help choosing 386/486 machine.
Hi. One of our departments wants to purchase a high end PC compatible to
test out various new software and operating systems of interest, like OS/2
with Presentation Manager, X-Windows, Windows/386, Xenix, high end relational
databases like Oracle/Informix/Ingress/etc., and so on. We proposed a 33 MHz
386 box with all the usual accessories: VGA, 360 ESDI hard disk, 4 Megs of
RAM, cache memory, 387 coprocessor, and so on. The question arose, why not
go straight for a 486 system? Last I heard, the 486 was too buggy right now
to be trusted, but that was a while back. Also, the new EISA (Extended
Industry Standard Architecture) machines should offer much improved
throughput, but the last I read they would not be commonly available until
summer.
What do you think? 386 or 486? Buy now or wait for an EISA box? What
specific systems do you recommend, either 386 or 486, and why one over the
other? What systems have you had experience with? It would also be helpful
if you could indicate what sort of processing you did on the system, to give
me some basis of comparison: as we all know, a system that's fast for word
processing isn't necessarily fast for database work. Please reply either by
mail or posting; I will collect all replies and post a summary to the group
afterwards. Thanks for the help!
- Tony
catone@kings.wharton.upenn.edu
catone@dsl.cis.upenn.edu
catone@wharton.upenn.edu
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 90 09:47:37 CST
From: moore@ncsc.navy.mil (Moore)
Subject: Optinet & Programmer's Library (Query)
Help. If you have the limited, 3-user demo version of Optinet that came with
Microsoft's Programmer's Library CD-ROM running successfully, would you
please contact me (moore@NCSC.navy.mil)? I've been waiting for more than two
weeks (three by the time you read this message) for Microsoft to send me the
updated version of Optinet (mine won't access the CD-ROM properly on our 3Com
Open network), and I'm hoping I can find someone to send me the necessary
files, uuencoded or whatever. I don't feel this violates any licensing,
since the Optinet software is modified to look ONLY for Programmer's Library,
and I've got that. I can always send a packing list of my broken Optinet
disk contents to you as proof that I have it, if you like.
Thanks for any assistance.
Jim Moore
moore@NCSC.navy.mil
Panama City FL
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 1990 18:26:55 PST
From: Michael Feinberg <mf@sumex-aim.stanford.edu>
Subject: Problem with MS-Kermit 3.0
I've found a problem with Kermit 3.0 and an Everex Evercom 24 internal modem.
Kermit 2.32A recognizes the modem on port 2, and works without problems. The
computer is a Wells-American A* (80286), running at 10 MHz. I downloaded 3.0
from Watsun and ran it, and got an error message when I tried to set the
port:
IBM-PC MS-Kermit: 3.00 16 Jan 1990
Copyright (C) Trustees of Columbia University 1982, 1990.
Type ? or HELP for help
MS-Kermit>set port 2
?Warning: no hardware for this serial port
?This port will be operated through the Bios as BIOS2
MS-Kermit>
Kermit 3.0 seems to work at 2400 baud, though I haven't tried to download a
file. Can anyone tell me what's wrong, and how to fix it? Thanks.
Michael Feinberg
------------------------------
Date: Mon 12 Mar 90 18:38:10-PST
From: Laurence I. Press <LPRESS@ISI.EDU>
Subject: ROM upgrade for original PC
Can anyone tell me where to get a ROM upgrade for the original PC? IBM used
to market one, but they no longer have them or even seem to know about them.
Any clone BIOS which are compatible with the original PC?
Larry
[I've put the Phoenix XT Bios in my IBM PC/XT. Other than the POST runs
faster, I haven't noticed any problems... Cost was about $40 from a place in
Seattle Washington... gph]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 90 15:03 PST
From: <CHUCKM%UCRVMS.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu>
Subject: Scrolling problem w/Zenith 386SX & 1492 monitor
Hello INFO-IBMPC'ers!
I have what I hope is an easy question for all you PC experts... here in the
lab I work in at UC Riverside, we've recently acquired two new Zenith 386SX
machines with the latest and greatest, (Zenith model #) 1492 VGA monitors.
They seem to be pretty good machines, with one exception: There seems to be
a problem with scrolling; we see it especially with connecting to our VAX
(using Kermit).
What happens is that the screen is fine as long as the screen doesn't have to
"scroll" up. When it does, data from lines that have more characters than
the current line "leak" down onto the current line. This makes the display
somewhat hard to read, to say the least. The same version of Kermit works
fine on our other machines, so I don't think that that's the problem, and
other software that "scrolls" output on the screen also have the same
problem.
So, if anyone has acquired the "bundle" of the 386SX and 1492 monitor from
Zenith, and has seen or (better yet!) conquered the "scrolling" problem,
please e-mail me, and I'll happily summarize the results to INFO-IBMPC.
Thanks!
Chuck
++++ Chuck McDaniels, Systems Consultant, Phone: (714) 787-4711 ++++
++++ Univ. of California, Riverside BITNET: ChuckM@UCRVMS ++++
++++ Thank you for not blaming UCR or anyone else for anything said here ++++
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 90 09:38 EST
From: Plummer@DOCKMASTER.NCSC.MIL
Subject: SCSI drive question
Can you boot from a SCSI drive on a PC? I have heard that the POST routine
runs before the INIT section for activating ROM controllers and since the
SCSI ROM has not been init'd, POST thinks it does not exist.
Bill Plummer (Plummer@dockmaster.ncsc.mil 508-967-4870)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 13 MAR 90 15:40:43 GMT
From: HUTTONCM%ASTON.AC.UK@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: TSR's in 640K
How do I get rid of memory resident stuff, the DOS "PRINT" for example, so
that large pascal programs can be compiled in just 640K of memory.
Dos 3.3 and Turbo Pascal 5.5. PRINT is the second most common offender,
the most common is 1st yr undergraduates SHELLing out of TP or kermit and
then installing a second copy of the software instead of EXITing back into
the originally loaded copy.
I know I can turn the machine off, but I have machines with lots of self
tests plus virus checking, and the machines are not fast because we WILL ONLY
AFFORD cheaper hardware.
Tell me of the improvements that more memory can bring and I will dream
dreams.
Chris. Hutton
Postal Address:
Dept. Electrical and Electronic Eng. and Applied Physics
Aston University
Aston Triangle
Birmingham
B4 7ET
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 21 359 3611 Ex 4948
Electronic Mail Address:
Janet: HUTTONCM@UK.AC.ASTON
EARN/BITNET: HUTTONCM%UK.AC.ASTON@UKACRL
Internet: HUTTONCM%ASTON.AC.UK%UKACRL.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
------------------------------
Subject: New Upload:
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 1990 14:54 MST
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: PLOTTER 6.1 - CGA/VGA function plotter
[--forwarded message--]
From: Adrian Mariano <theorem@blake.acs.washington.edu>
Re: PLOTTER 6.1 - CGA/VGA function plotter
I have uploaded to SIMTEL20:
pd1:<msdos.plot>
PLOT61.ARC CGA/VGA 2d function plotter
Plotter 6.1 supports
o Cartesian
o Polar
o Parametric
o 1st and 2nd order differential equation solving
o Will solve polynomials in x and y for y and plot
Adrian Mariano
[--end forwarded message--]
Thanks, Adrian! Sorry this is a bit late getting forwarded to Info-IBMPC.
--Keith
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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